Window guide



' May 2o, 1941.

A. vRYDQUxs-r WINDOW GUIDE Filed Feb. 5, 1939 l IIIlvII/Il @misi %-:S ATTORNEYS Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUmE Adolph Rydquist, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The lSchlegel Manufacturing Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Appcation February 3, 1939, Serial No. 254,456

8 Claims.

This invention relates to window guides, and more particularly to a window guide and weather stripping adapted to be readily bent to conform to the curved window framing of an automobile.

Curved and irregularly shaped window and door openings are now in common usage on auto mobiles. The window guide and weather stripping must of course be bent to conform to the curvature of the framing or casing. Various manufacturers, and various models of the same manufacturer, may employ diierent frame curvatures. In order that the window guide and weather stripping may be of standard construction and adapted to be used with any shape of window opening, it is necessary that it be readily bendable and capable of being shaped to conform to the opening during its application to the framing. I have found that window guides, as now commercially made, employing weakened portions to adapt` them to ready bending, tend to bend non-uniformly and excessively at one point, the point of maximum strain. A workman in conforming the guide to the frame is required to exercise considerable care during the bending operation, not only to secure a good iit between the guide and the framing, but also to prevent the guide from bending excessively at one point and perhaps breaking.

An object of my invention is, therefore, to prof vide a Window guide and Weather stripping which will bend on a more nearly uniform curve during the application of the guide to a window casing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a window guide and weather stripping which is of simple construction, relatively inexpensive to manuafcture, sturdy in use, and easy to install.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simplilied and more secure anchoring in the channel-shaped backing strip of the guide for the cushioning element of the guide.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims and will be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a View, partly in section, showing my novel window guide and weather stripping mounted in a window casing for the reception of a glass panel;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section of the window guide and Weather stripping of my invention:

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

.merals 23 and 26.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the window guide and weather stripping of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a section of the strip slitted and prior to bending into channel shape.

'I'he window guide and weather stripping of my invention comprises a thin sheet or strip II preferably of metal and preferably of a metal, as, for example,steel or brass, which in thin sheets is pliant and may be readily bent to conform to a desired shape. However the strip preferably is of sumcient rigidity so that it will retain, under normal conditions of use, a desired shape after being bent.

The strip II is provided with a multiplicity of preferably parallel slits or incisions i2 and I3. The slits are centrally located on the strip so as to leave margins I4 and I6, which may be later bent to form a bead for the Window guide. The slits I2 and i3 ,are cut closely spaced adjacent each other, and extend alternately from opposite sides of the strip. That is, the slits I2 extend transversely of the strip from the margin It beyond the longitudinal center of the strip to a point spaced from the margin i6, as shown at Il. The slits i3 extend from the margin I6 transversely of the strip to a point beyond the longitudinal center of the strip and spaced from the margin it, asshown at it. Each of the slits I2 and I3 have small longitudinally extending slits I9 and 2l preferably at each end thereof.

After the slits, as above described, have been formed in the strip, it is bent into a generally channel or lJ-shape, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of the U is indicated by the numeral 22, and the arms of the U are indicated by the nu- The outer portions of the margins I4 and I6 are bent upward, as shown at 25, to form beads, generally indicated by the numeral 26, as will presently be described.

It will now be observed that the slits I2 extend transversely of the channel or U from adjacent the `margin It upwardly along the arm 24 and substantially across the bottom 22 of the U, but preferably terminate short of the edge 2l. Similarly, the slits I3 extend from adjacent the margin l-upwardly along the arm 23 and across the bottom 22 of the U and terminate preferably short of the edge 2t.

'I'he facing or cushioning strip, generally indicated by the numeral 3|, is of exible material such as a layer of flexible woven textile fabric 32, preferably having means forming one or more cushioning pads thereon. The facing strip, in order to provide an adequate cushion for the Window 33 (Fig. 1), is so soft and pliant that it Preferably the pile surfaces Il are in the form f of three separate cushioning zones, as shown in the drawing, each zone extending longitudinally of the channel. The middle one of such cushioning zones 'is adapted to contact with an edge surface of a window, door or panel while the two side zones are adapted to contact with the two side surfaces of the window, door or panel n ear the edge thereof, such as the window 33'.

The longitudinal edges of the fabric 32 are turned upwardly and over, as shown at 3B, and the margins of the edges, as shown at 31, confined between the arms 2l and 2l of the U-shaped channel and the upwardlyturned longitudinal edges of the channel. There are thus provided beads which serve to strengthen and stiifen the channel, while at the same time the edges of the fabric are rigidly held in position.

For the purpose of further anchoring the face ation.

longitudinally extending slits or incisions Il tend to prevent splitting of the strip beyond the ends of the transverse slits during the bending oper- While I have shown the strip as being provided with slits and I prefer this construction. slots may be used and where in the claims the term slit is used it will be understood that a slot is embraced by it. v

Although I have described the preferred form of my invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modincations may be made therein,

particularly in the' form and relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: f 1. A. window guide comprising a one-piece core of sheet metal of generally U-shape having oppositely disposed arms, said core having slits extending transversely thereof, certain of said slits ing or cushioning strip in the channel there are Y formed, preferably in the arms of the U-shapedv prongs extend through the fabric at the sides thereof and the ends of the prongs engage the fabric near thecentral portions thereof, as shown at 3B. The prongs or tongues are preferably alternately shaped on oppOSite sides of the channel, as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be particularly noted that the prongs retain the fabric adjacent the bottom of the channel in an exceedingly effective manner, since the prongs both extend through the fabric at the sides thereof and their ends engage the fabric near the center of the bottom of the channel.

As mentioned above, in the conventional forms of Window guides, the channel, during the bending operation, tends to bend excessively at one point. This is particularly true when slots or slits extending substantially entirely across the channel and down both arms thereof are employed. Such slots, for example, are shown in United States Letters Patent to Walter S. Gaines, Jr., No. 1,867,313, filed October 13, 1930, and issued July 12, 1932.

I have found the channel of my invention, having slits formed as above described and as shown in the drawing, will bend readily on a substantially uniform curve and will not tend to bend substantially entirely at one point. 'Ihat is, in bending the channel around a curve such as shown in Fig. 1, if the channel is grasped with the thumbs at about the points 4|- and bent, the curve formed, if reasonable care `is taken, will be substantially auniform curve.

When the channel is bent, the slits tend to form openings which are V-shaped along the arms of the channel and V-shaped along the extending from adjacent the free edge of an arm of the core, across said arm. across the bottom of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with the other arm of the core, and others of said slits staggered with respect to the first slits and extending from adjacent the free edge of said other arm of the core, across said other arm, across the bottom of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with said first arm, said slits being spaced from each other along the core so as to facilitate bending thereof. y

2. ,A window guide comprising a one-piece core of sheet metal of generally U-shape having oppositely disposed arms, said core having slits extending transversely thereof, certain of said slits extending from adjacent the free edge of an arm of the core, across said arm, across the bottom 4of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with the other arm of the core, and others of said slits staggered with respect tothe ilrst slits and extending from adjacent the free edge of said other arm of the core, across said othery arm, acrossthe bottom of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with said first arm, said slits being spaced l from each other along the core so as to facilitate bending thereof and said slits each terminating -at at least one end in a longitudinally extending slit.

bottom 22 of the channel. That is, each slit opens 3. A window guide comprising a one-piece core of sheet metal of generally U-shape having oppositely disposed arms, said core having slits extending transversely thereof, certain of said slits extending from'adjacent the'free edge of an arm of the core, across said arm, across the bottom of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with the other arm of the core, and others of said slits staggered with respect to the first slits and extending from adjacent the free edge of said other arm of the core, across said other arm, across the bottom of the core and terminating adjacent the meeting edge of the bottom of the core with said first arm. said slits being spaced from each other along the core so as to facilitate bending thereof and said slits each terminating at both ends in longitudinally extending slits.

4. Av window guide comprising a generally channel-shaped c ore of sheet metal, said core having a multiplicity of L-shaped slits extending. alternately from opposite sides of the `core in staggered relation, said slits when the core is straight having their margins contiguous, but

y said slits when the core is bent to conform to the curvature of a window casing separating to each form two v-shaped openings.

5. A window guide comprising a generally channel shaped core of thin sheet metal, said core having a multiplicity of L-shaped slits extending alternately from opposite sides of the core in staggered relation, the alternate slits lying toward the outside of the curve and being spread apart when the core is tted in the curved portion of a window channel.

6. A window guide comprising a generally U-'shaped core of thin sheet metal having oppositely disposed arms, said core having two sets of L-shaped slits therein, one set of slits having part of the L extending along one arm of the core and the other set of slits having part of the L extending along the other arm of the core and both of said slits having their other arms extendin'g along the base of the core in overlapping spaced relation, the arms of the core being integrally connected after the core is slitted and both sets of slits lying on the outside of the curve and being at least partly spread apart when the core is tted in the curved portion of a window channel.

7. A window guide comprising a generally U-shaped core of thin sheet metal having oppositely disposed arms, a cushioning material carried in said core, and a plurality of prongs struck from the metal of the arms of the core, said prongs being hinged adjacent the base of the core with the barbed portions extending toward the open portion of the core so that when the prongs are swung around their hinges they may pierce the material and be clinched against the material lying in the base of the core.

8. A window guide comprising a generally U-shaped core of thin sheet metal having clamping portions along the longitudinal edges of the arms of the core, a cushioning material carried in said core with the longitudinal edges thereof held by said clamping portions, and a plurality of prongs struck from the metal of the arms of the core, said prongs being hinged adjacent the base of the core With the barbed portions extending toward the open portion of the core so that when the prongs are swung around their hinges they may pierce the material and draw it taut between the clamping portions and the pierced portions and with the ends of the prongs confining the material against the base of the core.

ADOLPH RYDQUIST. 

